BJHCHS Celebrates 9 Years of Partnering with Arizona Medical School

posted on Thursday, September 22, 2016

Beaufort-Jasper-Hampton Comprehensive Health Services, Inc.
(BJHCHS) recently welcomed their ninth class of medical students
from A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in
Arizona. Since 2008, BJHCHS has had a partnership with A.T. Still
to educate these transfer students in our community. The
students rotate with BJHCHS and Beaufort Memorial Hospital
physicians, private physicians, and all the area hospitals in
Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton, and Colleton counties.

"Most people don't know that we have a medical school in
Beaufort," says Dr. Faith Polkey, Regional Director for Medical
Education (RDME) and a Pediatrician at BJHCHS. "The students
spend their first year of medical school in Mesa, Arizona and then
relocate to Beaufort for years 2-4 to complete their education. Our
goal is to increase the number of physicians entering primary care
and returning to underserved communities."

The curriculum is delivered by Dr. Polkey and Dr. Eve Ashby, who
is also an RDME and an OB/GYN with Beaufort Memorial
Lowcountry Medical Group, LLC.

A.T. Still was founded in 1892 as leading health sciences
university. The institution has two campuses in Mesa, AZ and
Kirksville, MO with an average annual enrollment of 3,100
students.

The students were welcomed to South Carolina with a reception at
Saltus River Grill on Aug. 18th. This year's class is comprised of
Victoria Calvelage, Navid Mahabadi, Stephen Ingle, Ashley Doucet,
Osman Lodhi, Elizabeth Cornell, Ashley Coaston, and Jordan
Rosenberg.

For more information about the medical school, call the
Ridgeland office at (843) 726-3341.